dear friends,

Welcome to the world of Indian Airlines....the airline...so homely that you feel that you are in your own House !!!!!!!! in fact they go out of their way to make you feel the same. Surprised ?????!!!!! let me explain it to you in detail.......

First of all as soon as you enter the aircraft...you see the welcoming faces of the air hostess....which would be very similar to your mother. Isn’t that great. You just feel like your own mother welcoming you. And they also dress accordingly (No, i am not suggesting that my mother dresses shabbily). But they put in a lot of efforts not to look like picture perfect air hostesses...it takes a lot of effort to reach that level. i hope that you will try to understand and appreciate that.

Now comes the time for dining. Have you ever noticed that they never use brand new plates or cutlery. That ruins the whole concept of making you feel at Home. Do you EVER eat in new plates at home ?? In fact I feel that they buy all their wares, keep them in godowns for at least 15 years before they are cleared for use inside the aircraft. The best part is the trolley that is used for serving...most of the aircrafts have antique pieces....the one that they use in Bombay-Sharjah sector is I think almost 3000 years old. isn’t it fascinating!!!!!! i feel wonderful whenever I get to touch that old piece from history.

The best and the most amazing part is yet to come.....Yes, you also get to see the cockroaches and mosquitoes inside the aircraft....but that is reserved only for the business class passengers. Can you believe this ??? and they are REAL INDIAN cockroaches. I was really overwhelmed. I mean how much these guys have to go through to make you feel at home. I really pity the guy who would be in charge of this duty. Its really very very difficult to catch live mosquitoes and cockroaches.

Sometimes when we get unexpected guests at our home.....we use the code word of FHB on the dinner table. It means that ’’Family Hold Back - there is not enough food for everyone.’’ I was emotionally touched when I saw the same system in Indian Airlines. I am not sure why they were not expecting me when I had confirmed ticket but they did not have any vegetarian food left for me and they requested me to FHB. They considered me as the part of their own family !!!! I am not sure if they are aware of it but they touched my heart with this gesture. I will NEVER forget this wonderful experience.

They also go at great length to create the atmosphere inside the aircraft which is very similar to your own HOME. Nobody is in-charge of any particular duty. Everyone should act as a responsible adult and should not hesitate in doing any work.

Some lazy and egoistic travellers do not understand this part and they think that it is the duty of Air Hostess or the Flight Purser to do certain things. They do not want to take the responsibility of doing their own work. Just like they do at home. Hence they have to suffer during their journey. It is because of their own misunderstanding. Don’t you go and fetch your own glass of water at home ???? or don’t you clean your own toilet (even prince williams does it) when your servant is not around. Why can’t you do it for your own national airline....which is trying its best to make you feel at home.

Many of my friends expect the air hostess to smile at them...i mean this is just ridiculous. are you looking for that plastic smile...? my dear friends...just empathize....just tell me as to how many times do you smile at your sister or your dad in the house...it completely ruins the natural and healthy environment...you do not need that plastic smile to re-confirm the love for your own family members.

Most of the complaints about Indian Airlines arise due to the lack of understanding of their ’’Homely -Your own Airline’ philosophy. Just think twice or close your eyes for a minute and put yourself in that frame of ’Home Environment’ and your complaints will disappear into the thin air.

There are many other touching experiences that I have had with Indian Airlines but at present I am totally drained emotionally to talk about it.

To conclude I must say that I always get tears in my eyes when I am leaving the aircraft...just like leaving your mother and your home behind. Its always a tearful experience.......!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Flying.....

No. of times flown on this Airlines:	Both
Class flown most frequently:	Between 7 - 10